Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Teaching My Girls

I had the privilege to see Beth Moore through a simulcast on Saturday morning with over 300,000 other women across the country. She spoke on Insecurity. I am still processing a lot of it. She talked about how as women can make a significant difference in our culture if we can become secure in ourselves.

She spent a lot of time in Ephesians 4. The verse that I keep going back to is Ephesians 4:22-24.
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

It has me thinking about how I still have some baggage myself that I need to get rid of to completely become made new. However, I wasn't focusing on myself. I was focusing on the very first part of the verse that says, "You were taught".

I was thinking about my girls, "What am I teaching my girls?"

I am pretty sure that if I asked my own mother she would say it is never easy to raise girls. I think that my sister and I gave her more than a few gray hairs and sleepless nights.

However, I think that society has added even more pressure to raising girls. I think that we need to focus even more on raising them to be pure. From the media they watch to the clothes that they want to wear. I did not have a cell phone until I was married. My nine year old daughter has kids that have had them since they were in first grade.

Today I am concentrating on how I can change the way I am teaching my girls so that someday, when they are making their own decisions, I can be confident that they were taught to live like Christ.





I look at these innocent faces and I know that I need to do whatever it takes. Although I am sure some of my rules will make them crazy, some of my boundaries might seem extreme. But someday, I know they will understand. Someday, they may be teaching their own girls and it will all make sense.

I have been tweeting with a few other Moms with girls and we decided that we need each other. We are the MOD Squad. (Mothers Of Daughters). Are you part of the MOD Squad? Are you struggling with how and what to teach your girls. Check out My Blog Frog Community if you are a Mother Of Daughters and introduce yourself. One thing I know for sure is we need each other.

5 comments:

Sarah said...

Love this post, Amy! Raising a daughter scares the living daylights out of me, because it was hard enough when we were growing up -- and life / society has certainly added more pressures to girls since then. My goal is for my kids to say "Mom, I hate you" because of my rules. (OK, I'm exaggerating ... a little.)

I don't know if you've read any books by Dannah Gresh. When we helped lead youth group in Baltimore, I worked with the girls through one of her books. I love her stuff for girls - specifically as it speaks to purity.

Marci Goodwin said...

I am sometimes "out there" in protecting my daughter from the influences around her. And my husband, well..he wants her locked in a high tower somewhere! It is a dangerous world for little girls. I don't want her out in it until she is ready. Lots of training still needed!

Mirinda said...

First of all, your daughters are so beautiful and precious! My oldest is a girl and will be 9 in October...and I am just starting to really be intentional in teaching her how to be a girl who is after Christ's heart more than ANYTHING else in life. It's hard because I was NOT raised this way!

We are ordering some good stuff (books/CDs) from Vision Forum and I also got the curriculum Polished Cornerstones by Doorposts- I cannot wait to do this with her, it is amazing!

I am also reading Raising a Modern Day Princess and getting lots of good ideas from that. My husband and I both do not come from a good home-life background and really need help in doing right with our children- so I read a lot LOL

KK said...

I wish I could have attended that simulcast, it sounded great.

Anonymous said...

love, love, love this and am SO excited to be a part of this community!

what took us so long!? ;)

and agreed ... beautiful photos of your beautiful girls!